CHAPTER 70: WHERE’S MINE?

The judges held up their cards:

"9.5"

"8.0"

"Sparkle"

"10"

"Glitterfire hazard (8?)"

Snugglewuff tilted his head.

"Third place," Fluffy said, poking her with his tail. "Not bad for a canine fireworks display."

"Does third come with cake?"

"It comes with..."

The announcer gestured dramatically to a velvet-draped prize cart.

"...a Magical Pet Gift Basket!"

The crowd applauded. Evelisse stepped forward, still dusting shimmer from her hair.

She peeked into the basket.

"Biscuits, a chew wand, three glam combs..."

And then—nestled in blue velvet—

A collar.

Not just any collar.

It was made of woven moon-thread, silver-edged with opal stones. A delicate rune shimmered at the clasp.

Evelisse’s breath caught.

The rune.

It was a broken lens. Identical to the one etched into the mirror-cave in Azure Bay.

’Why is that here?’ she thought, heart hammering.

She picked it up gently. It pulsed once—cold, then warm. Like it *recognized* her.

Snugglewuff tilted his head and barked.

She looked at Fluffy.

The little fox spun slowly. "This shouldn’t be here. That rune... belonged to the Royal Observatory. Before it was... sealed here in Astrael."

’Sealed?’

"It shattered during the Obscura War. No rune survived."

’But this one did.’

"The replica of the mirror cave called the mirror tower is possibly where it’s supposed to be kept away from public eye. But, it would seem only you can see this, princess."

She raised a brow, took a glance at the crowd; especially the announcer for any signs of understanding the situation, but it looked like Fluffy was right as his attention was on giving the prizes to the rest of the winners.

Evelisse turned it over. Beneath the lens symbol was a faint inscription, hidden unless held against the sun.

"Try reading it, you should understand what it says." Fluffy urged her with a gesture of the head.

She whispered aloud, reading the old tongue. ’*By moon’s eye, restore what breaks...*’

The sky *dimmed*.

Just for a moment.

As if something ancient had heard.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

Later, Evelisse returned to her room with the collar wrapped in a scarf.

She paced.

Fluffy perched on her shoulder. "We must ask the Archivist."

"He’s on his annual three-day nap."

"Then we wait?"

"No." She frowned. "We investigate."

She opened her drawer, pulled out the small silver box containing the moon lily.

It glowed faintly.

The same pulse as the collar.

"Do you think they’re linked?"

Fluffy’s voice lowered. "Or baited to one another."

She turned to her wardrobe. "I’m going to the Mirror Tower."

"At night?"

"Of course not," she said sweetly. "At sneak."

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

Sneaking involved two guard distractions, one kitchen biscuit bribe, and pretending to be a tablecloth.

Snugglewuff followed, disguised in a bonnet and slippers.

"You’re a noble’s baby now," Evelisse whispered, carrying him in a picnic basket.

Fluffy sighed. "You’re a menace."

’Yet you helped me navigate unseen and dutifully led me to the tower in one piece.’ Evelisse countered with a smug grin, ’for that, I’ll be forever grateful, your royal systeminess.’

Fluffy huffed and looked to the side, unwilling to indulge her in her playful teasing.

They reached the hidden hallway.

The stone corridor to the tower was colder than usual. Lamps flickered as if nervous.

Evelisse held the collar tight.

Each step made her heart race louder.

Finally, she reached the mirror door.

It stood tall and shimmering—unchanged.

She reached out. The collar pulsed.

The mirror *shivered*.

A hairline crack appeared. Small. Just one thread of fracture in the silver.

Then a whisper.

From the mirror itself.

"...Vanta..."

She froze.

"What?"

"Say again," Fluffy whispered.

"...Vanta..."

Evelisse stepped back.

’I somehow know that word,’ she breathed. ’Some strange memory I can’t seem to put together somehow.’

"Don’t say it again," Fluffy warned.

’Could it be that it’s some sort of memory from the original Evelisse? Had she also been here in the past?’

But Snugglewuff barked.

Loudly.

"Snugglewuff, shhh! Please don’t call attention to us like this."

She tried hushing her dog to the best of her knowledge.

The mirror *fractured*.

More lines. Dozens. Runes bloomed across its surface like frost. And through them—

A reflection.

Not her own.

A girl.

Not quite human. With silver eyes and moonlight skin.

And—

Evelisse gasped.

She looked like Evelisse.

But a bit different than what she had seen in the caves then. But one thing stood out, this was an older version of herself and equally sad as the last reflection she had seen.

The figure pressed her palm to the other side of the glass.

"Evelisse," she mouthed.

Then the glass *screamed*.

Not with sound.

With *pressure*.

The collar burned hot in her hand. Pebbleton blinked red.

She staggered back.

Snugglewuff leapt from the basket, barking.

The tower *cracked*.

And then—

Silence.

The mirror sealed again. Smooth. Untouched.

Evelisse collapsed to her knees.

"...What was that?" she whispered.

Fluffy hovered, shaking.

"I don’t know," Fluffy whispered. "But she looked like you, just like last time."

Snugglewuff whined, curling beside her.

And Pebbleton dulled.

Once.

Then again.

Then—

**Black.**

No glow.

No pulse.

No shimmer.

Just darkness.

She blinked once. Twice.

Still—no shimmer. No flicker.

Pebbleton sat in her palm like an ordinary stone.

Just a pebble.

Not her companion. Not her little blinking friend. Not the glowing warmth that responded to her voice and joy and fear and triumph.

"...No," she whispered. "No, no, no..."

She clutched it closer to her chest, cradling it like something fragile. Her other hand curled around the now-cool collar. The rune was gone. Vanished. The clasp smooth, blank, like nothing had ever been there.

"I just got you," she breathed, heart twisting. "You can’t stop now."

Snugglewuff whined at her feet. Fluffy hovered just above her shoulder, ears dipped low.

"I didn’t even name you yet," she whispered to the rock. "You blinked whenever I felt scared. You understood me. You were mine."

She hugged it tighter.

"What does this mean, Fluffy?" she asked, voice cracking. "Why did it go dark?"

Fluffy sighed, floating down until he settled into her lap beside Pebbleton.

"The rune on the collar," he said softly, "and the glow inside Pebbleton... they worked together."

Her fingers gripped tighter.

"What do you mean worked together?"

"The rune pulled its last reserve of mirror-linked magic. And Pebbleton—your companion spirit—amplified it. They created a spike in arcane flow. Enough to interact with the Mirror Tower. Enough to... break its seal."